


The Workout

by Frangipanidownunder



Category: The X-Files
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-22
Updated: 2018-04-22
Packaged: 2019-04-26 11:49:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,796
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14401536
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Frangipanidownunder/pseuds/Frangipanidownunder
Summary: Post Season 11 prompt: to write a birth story similar to Seth Meyers’ second child’s dramatic apartment entrance.





	The Workout

It wasn’t really pain, more like a kind of rolling disconnection. It wasn’t quite physical either, more insubstantial, ethereal almost. It was disconcerting that control over her own body was slipping from her grasp. Mulder slept on, untroubled by the silvery light filtering through the crack in the drapes, untroubled by another life growing in his body.

Last night, her abdomen bowed and flexed, a foot stamped on her bladder, an elbow jabbed her ribs. Mulder was fascinated by the whole thing, having missed out on her pregnancy with William. He loved to watch Bean play under her skin; he prodded and poked to get a reaction as only Mulder could.

She watered the peace lily that stood on the windowsill in the kitchen. She listened to a podcast as she ran through a gentle yoga session. She sat, cross-legged on her mat, running her hands over the bump. She whispered to their unborn, the familiar lyrics that had become a regular lullaby, Jeremiah was a Bullfrog.

She hadn’t thought about the song in years, but since the pier, since they walked away from the Bureau, since she confided in Mulder that William wasn’t dead, she’d had more visions, more messages. And this song… just stuck.

Mulder made her raspberry leaf tea because he insisted it would bring on labour. He had a litany of other methods lined up too.

“There’s spicy food, castor oil, Evening Primrose oil,” he said.

She pushed the laptop off his knees and replaced it with her feet. “And then there’s the one where the father-to-be massages the mother-to-be’s feet and stops coming up with ways to induce a birth that involve vomit-inducing tastes.”

“How about acupuncture?”

“How about not.”

“Nipple stimulation?”

She dug her heels into his groin and he yelped. “And now sex is out of the question. Mulder, the baby will come when it’s ready. If not, I’ll be induced. You never did have any patience.”

He rolled her foot in his hand and she let her eyes close. The strange sensation started again, as if the baby were mimicking the movements of Mulder’s hands on her feet. Her insides felt like they were rolling and rocking.

“How did you know William was coming?”

“Aside from the excruciating pains ripping through my body every few minutes?” she said, opening one eye. His pained expression softened her mood a little. “I may also have yelled at Monica to stop doing whale song impressions.”

He chuffed. “That is so Reyes. She would have been a good doula. I could do whale song, Scully. If it would help?”

“Mulder, I gave birth to our son in a rundown house with no water in a dusty, dead town in the middle of nowhere. I was surrounded by strangers, aliens or supersoldiers or whatever they were. I had no pain relief. I was terrified for my life, for our baby’s life. I…” she took a deep breath. “This time I just want the birth to be in a modern, clean facility surrounded by professionals. I want to be mentally ready, I want to feel safe.” She pushed herself up and his hands traced the mound of her belly. She kissed him. “But most of all, I want you to be there.”

She couldn’t face lunch. The overwhelming need to move had taken over, despite her size, the nagging pain in her lower back and her swollen ankles. She pulled her maternity yoga pants out of the closet and found one of Mulder’s old tees. She pinned back her hair, grabbed her gym bag and filled her water bottle.

“Where are you going, Scully?” He’d been in the yard, digging and there was mud caked to his jeans and boots.

“Out.”

“I’ll come with you.”

“I’m fine, Mulder. I’ve got my phone. I’ll be in town. At the gym. I just need to do something by myself.”

He pouted. “Give me five. I could do with a workout.”

“Mulder, you’ve been working out in the yard. You’re filthy. I’ll be back before you know. I don’t need you to be my shadow. I’m a doctor, remember? I’m fine. I’m not going to have the baby on the rowing machine, if that’s what you’re worried about.”

There was more lean muscle on show than the butchery. She felt instantly self-conscious in her baggy top and last year’s sneakers. She started on the walking machine and turned up the volume on her iPod. Florence + the Machine’s Rabbit Heart started and she picked up her pace. Her back spasmed and she felt a twinge of cramp in her lower abdomen. She backed off and slowed her breathing. She walked on, gripping the handles every time the hot pain flashed across her back and down the front of her thighs. Feeling a little braver, she picked up the pace again, striding out. It felt good. She felt strong. Until a hot dribble of fluid made its way down her leg. She looked down in horror as it left a trail on the black vinyl base of the machine. There was a woman on the machine to her right, oblivious, but the bulky man to her left had noticed and he took out his earphones.

“Are you okay?”

“I’m…fine,” she said, but she clutched her stomach and doubled over. “I’m…fine.”

There was a small commotion during which she found herself sitting on the end of the walking machine, feet planted on the floor, head bent over and a flurry of people jamming their cellphones to their ears calling the paramedics.

“I’m a doctor,” she said, when the pain subsided. “I’ll be fine. I just need to call my partner.”

“Scullllllaaaaaay!”

She looked up to see Mulder tearing through the foyer. “Forget that,” she said. “My partner’s about to make a dramatic entrance.” She doubled over again and panted through the pain.

“Scully, are you okay? I’m on the phone to the paramedics. How many minutes apart? What do I do? Can you walk to the car? Here, let me help…”

She batted his hand away. “Leave me alone, Mulder. I’m fine. I can’t concentrate when you talk too much. I just need some time.”

“Your water broke.” He was squatting before her, touching the damp material of her yoga pants. “Her water broke,” he said into his phone.

“No shit, Sherlock. All over this machine. I’m so embarrassed, oh…Mulder. I think the baby’s coming.”

“No shit, Sherlock,” he said back, and grabbed her elbow. “Here, stand up. If you can walk between contractions I can help you to the car. The paramedics are on the way. We can meet them halfway.”

“No, Mulder. I mean it’s coming. Right now.” She looked down as he helped her up. The bulge between her legs was comedically obscene. Her pants stretched and her legs bowed out. She supported it with a cupped hand. Mulder was staring, on the precipice between laughter and tears. She felt the flutter of a giggle stick in her throat. What a fucking nightmare, but what a ridiculous fucking nightmare.

“Holy fuck, Scully. You can’t have it here. She can’t have it here,” he said.

“I wanted clean and modern,” she said, wincing. Someone brought a pile of towels and laid them on the floor. She let herself slip down onto all fours. “Besides, I don’t have a choice. You’re going to have to take my pants off.”

As he eased them down, his voice cracked. “I can see the head. There’s the head.” He yelled out like he was watching a baseball game.

The pain grew and she groaned from the pit of her stomach. Looking up, she saw the other gym goers had formed a line around her, looking away, but effectively providing a small private area. They might not be health professionals but they were being as sensitive as they could, given the awkward circumstances.

Mulder rubbed her back and told her to push. She could hear the tinny voice of the paramedic on the line and she clenched her teeth, bracing for the next contraction. It came on rapidly and she pushed again. In a gush of heat, she felt the baby slip out.

Mulder yelled out. “That’s a catch!” and a roar erupted from the gym goers.

She slumped back onto her heels, took a few deep breaths, before turning carefully over, knees akimbo, naked butt on the towels. Mulder was cradling their baby in his arms, shock and awe written over his face. His eyes watered as he handed the baby to her.

“Skin to skin, Scully. She needs skin to skin contact for body heat.”

“There’s no sleeping bags, Mulder,” she said and looked into the face of her infant daughter, wise eyes open, nose scrunched up, hands fisted on her chin. She fell in love.

Mulder wrapped her up in a heat blanket. He shook hands with the gym goers and chatted but never took his eyes off her, off his family. When the paramedics arrived, she was already crooning Joy to the World and William had blown his baby sister a kiss.

“Must have been the raspberry leaf, Scully.” Mulder sat on the floor next to her, peeking into the swaddling.

The paramedics set up the gurney.

“Must have been the right time, Mulder.”

He kissed her cheek. “What are we going to call her? There are some cultures where babies are named for the place of their birth or local environment.”

“We are not calling her Treadmill, Mulder.”

He chuckled. “I was thinking more about the name of the gym.”

Her mind was a blank. She’d never given it much thought, despite being a member for a number of years. She allowed herself to be lifted onto the stretcher and the baby let out a sleepy cry.

“This is the Rose Hill 24 hour gym, Scully. Rose. She looks like a rose.”

The sting of tears and the plug in her throat prevented her from talking for a few moments. “Rose is beautiful, Mulder.”

“Yes. You both are. I can’t believe you gave birth in a gym, Scully. What a champion.”

“It was a pretty good workout,” she said. “I just want to know how you got here so quickly. Did you follow me?”

A flash of guilt passed across his face. “I’m sorry, Scully. I felt a little odd. Like my mind was disconnected from my body for a bit. And when I went inside the house, the radio was playing Joy to the World and I just had the most compelling feeling to get into the car.”

The baby opened her eyes and stared up at her parents. And Scully could swear she saw a glimmer of a smile on her tiny mouth.


End file.
